Credulous Thinking - Science and Truth At Odds

Well, it’s that time of year again when the atheists, evolutionists, and Bible haters come out of the woodwork again. (Ad from 2010) They are always there, but when the wormwood gets cold and frozen, they come out and try to bask in the sunlight of the season. Their source of heat – hate. Spreading joy and permitting others to have their fun just seems like something they love to spoil. Like stepping on a slug and slipping, they love to slime the public with their message of so-called enlightenment. They are not content in being atheists, they demand that others accept their godless ways as well. Apparently freedom of belief and freedom of choice are foreign to them. I really wonder why they don’t just move to a country that completely and thoroughly supports their beliefs. They’d be so much happier.

Still, these so-called enlightened ones make the claim that they shove “truth” in people’s faces because believers do so out of credulity, not fact. According to the dictionary, credulity is a state of willingness to believe in one or many people or things in the absence of reasonable proof or knowledge. Credulity is not simply a belief in something that may be false. The subject of the belief may even be correct, but a credulous person will believe it without good evidence.

Does science ever suffer from this? Oh yes, definitely, and not just occasionally. One of the most laughable instances comes from the world of food science. I’ve noticed for decades how science just cannot make up it's mind. Eggs are bad, then eggs are good. Coffee is bad, then coffee is good. Bacon is bad and, and, and……. the jury is still out on that one. But the one that embarrassed the whole community was the junk science on chocolate as a weight-loss diet. Not only was the “science” behind it bad, it was an intentional lie to prove a point.

But some may argue that such would never happen in research related to evolution. Sadly, even that assumption is credulous. Well, how about modern stem cell research? Oh dear, another big “whoops” for the science community. I could/would cite more, but I think I’ve made the point – science is not without its own false teachings, faked research, and more.

But let me be clear here. I am not defending those who celebrate Christmas. I know it is untrue that Jesus was born in December. That has been thoroughly documented and disseminated for many, many years. Even religious literature knows that. Even the Catholic religion knows that AND they were the initial propagators of this false teaching. Do any of those claiming Christianity (as a religious organization) actually respect that knowledge by not becoming involved? Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas. My point is that science needs to clean their own house first before they smugly take the white-glove to the furniture of others. There is a saying that “those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” These so-called “enlightened” ones need to contemplate that.

Previous blog article from 2010

Hebrews 11:6 Without Faith It Is Impossible

Quoting Hebrews 11:6: “Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.”

So question: Why is it impossible to please God without faith? Probably the most obvious would be that if you don’t have faith in God, you wouldn’t even try to please him in the first place. This situation reminded me of a 20/20 TV show segment I watched recently about an American soldier who lost track of his twin children for over 40 years. (Part 1, Part 2) His greatest fear was that his children would have concluded that he abandoned them. Indeed, that was what they thought. In truth, he ran against one legal battle after another trying to reconnect.

The reason this story drives home the truth of Hebrews 11:6 is that the children had lost faith, hope, belief that their father cared. There was no relationship. In fact, the son was surprised that his father was even still alive. So the logical conclusion would be: “Why bother, my father doesn’t care and likely is dead.” Likewise, today some feel that “God is dead” and/or that he doesn’t care. With such feelings, obviously even those that might want to know God if he existed, are left with no desire to check out the truth of the matter.

But Paul was writing to believers which puts a bit of a different spin on that matter. Lack of faith, even momentary, displays a lack of appreciation, a lack of trust and confidence, for all that God has done and has demonstrated himself to be. We humans are indeed “weak” in a spiritual sense. We constantly need to be fortified, encouraged. Jesus was known of citing this issue when addressing even his closest followers with the words “you of little faith.”

Consider how this might happen to one who claims to believe in God. All mankind, both believers and non-believers, have the same challenges and issues in life. We are all imperfect. So large upsets and unexpected circumstances can momentarily knock us down (in a spiritual sense). In a literal sense, when we fall down, our first inclination is to get right back on our feet, look around, and hope no one saw. But in a spiritual sense, for some odd reason, we don’t react the same way. After getting knocked down or stumbling over an obstacle, some react by just lying there on the ground.

The Bible therefore reminds believers to get back up. I read recently that falling is not the measure of “a man.” It is what he does after the fall that truly demonstrates manly (adult) qualities IF he makes every immediate effort to stand up again.

But there is yet one more thing to remember. When a parent is teaching a child to ride a two-wheel bike, the child needs confidence not only in their own ability, which the parent constantly encourages, but also that the parent is there to rescue them if something happens. The parent may not be able to stop a fall, but they WILL rescue their child – bandaging the wounds, consoling the child. The same is true of God. He may not stop a spiritual fall, but he has assured us through examples in scripture that should be enough that we never lose faith. Coming back to the child on the bike, what if, even with all the love the parent gives the child, the child still acts like the parent doesn’t really love them or claims he doesn’t trust the parent. Obviously that would both disappoint and frustrate the parent. In that context then, “without faith it is impossible to please God well.” We can disappoint and hurt him. But Paul’s words at Hebrews 11:6 weren’t intended to be discouraging. Reading all of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12, we see that he is trying to motivate his readers to appreciation that God does exist, does care, and can and will help us.

True, Everlasting Happiness

Being happy is somewhat like chasing rainbows and butterflies in our dreams. We spend a lot of effort going after it, but even if for a fleeting moment we catch happiness, the realities of life shake us, shock us, to wakefulness. Some chase the arts thinking it gives them happiness. Indeed, the beauty of various art forms can be very calming and happy. But when tragedy strikes, art offers no answers. (Think of war-torn countries whose bomb-laden environment makes even the landscape look like a nightmare.) Some chase wealth and financial security thinking it will give them the greatest happiness. But so many have been very disappointed. For others happiness is always contingent on some future event, “I’ll be happy when….” That attitude truly is chasing rainbows.

Is there a real happiness than cannot be ruined by deterioration or stolen from us? Is there a happiness that cannot be spoiled by a “bad day”? Yes, there is. 

• First, initial happiness comes from learning about and really knowing God. This includes understanding the “big picture” of God’s purpose for his creation.
• Second, from understanding one’s own place and purpose in God's arrangement
• Third, experiencing first-hand the cooperative brotherhood supporting each other in love
• Fourth, from the satisfaction of doing our best to meet up to the honor of being called God's friend – a daily challenge.
• Then, like icing on a cake, joy & happiness will be compounded when the Kingdom of God comes into full swing; when all ungodly people are no longer around trying to subvert & destroy our unity.

Now, I am not talking about emotionalism. Nor do I mean credulity masquerading as faith. Just as tangible as a relationship with another human can be, such a real relationship can exist with our creator.

John 4:24 Neither location nor ceremony important

Quoting Jesus: “God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.” The circumstances surrounding that statement involved a Samaritan woman that Jesus engaged in a conversation. She raised one of the differences between her beliefs and those of Israelites. Jesus’ response involved two key points recorded in the 21^st and 24^th verses. (Other translations) In verse 21 Jesus indicates that the location is not important to true worship. In verse 24 he indicates that sincerity, obedience, and understanding the true essence of a personal relationship with our Creator are the key elements to true worship in a manner that God approves.

Focus more closely now on verse 24 and consider: How does a person worship "in spirit"? According to the actual Greek text, the word "pneumati" (as used in verse 24) can have two meanings. The first is a personage (God, the demons, spirit beings). The second is a dominate disposition (meek, haughty, etc.). A current-day example might be when someone says: “You have a very kind spirit.”

In context of the scripture, to worship God "in spirit" would be to demonstrate the qualities of a true Christian such as recorded at Galatians 5:22,23. (Note that none of the things listed in Galatians have to do with ceremony, ritual, or formalistic worship.) In contrast, the religious leaders in Jesus day were more concerned with outward appearance than with sincere devotion.

So how then do we worship "in truth"? With ceremonial and ritualistic forms of worship stripped away, what is left is realizing that the only truth is found in God's own word. For those living today, that "truth" can only be found in the Bible. So-called "truth" beyond that is not what God has sanctioned, no matter how good it sounds. Why is that significant? Because the Bible itself says that God’s word is all a true Christian needs to serve God properly.

Related articles:
What Does God Really Want From Us?
True Righteousness - Romans 14:17

True Righteousness - Romans 14:17

In the 14^th chapter of Romans, Paul discusses both religious ceremonial practices and the mundane of whether certain foods might be considered inappropriate (because they had been previously used in pagan sacrifices before arriving at the public meat market.) One interesting point is made in verse 17, “For the Kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but means righteousness and peace and joy with holy spirit.” (Other translations)

If we get the full impact of what Paul is saying, if we can extrapolate the principle that is being conveyed, we should come to the conclusion that any ritual, religious or otherwise, is not what is important. What earns us points with God is "righteousness." Thus, if you take all the motions that are common today, whether it be the way a person walks, the way they perform certain gestures, the officious-sounding words they use, or any other such thing, it all amounts to nothing in the sight of God. True righteousness is a condition of the symbolic heart and a mental resolve to obey God and love fellow man. (The Christian ministry is part of our loving our neighbor.)

Does God Discipline Non-Believers?

So I have considered if God tests us and if God punishes us through natural disasters. However the idea of God disciplining humanity in general is a bit different. In today's society, for anyone other than the parents to administer “discipline” in the form of punishing their own children is frowned upon. School authorities are delegated a certain degree of authority in that regard but physically touching the child is condemned.

The Bible uses the word discipline to encompass not only correction and chastisement, but also for gentle instruction. It is applied to actions God takes towards believers, not to those who are non-believers. This can be better understood when we realize that, in the Bible sense, discipline and disciple are related words. God's teaching and direction are intended to make us faithful followers (aka disciples) and therefore "disciplined" in the ways of righteousness. This is a teaching method that is usually gentle but sometimes much stronger. Perhaps the closest to this concept is that of an “academic discipline.” Obviously, non-believers reject any such discipline – teaching, molding, correction or otherwise.

However, even estranged imperfect humanity is God's creation (offspring of Adam), not just believers. God does not desire anyone to be destroyed but wants them to gain everlasting life. Both the proclamation Jonah was sent to deliver to Nineveh and the public preaching done by Christians today demonstrates that God does at very least provide warning so that those that heed the warning might live. Just as parents are known to warn a disobedient child as a form of discipline, in that sense God likewise disciplines before taking the next step. If those not obedient to God turn around from their godless ways (as in the case of Jonah’s Nineveh), God is merciful. If however, they reject even the warning, it will turn out badly for them, just as in the days of Noah.

Neural Nets and Intelligent Design

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vZL3e02SnE

What I find interesting from a “believer’s” point of view are the following comments:

“Neural Nets ... allow the computer to operate a little bit like your brain operates… The elements of a neural net aren’t exactly like a neuron, they are much less complicated and there are far fewer of them.” - Calum Chase (at 19 seconds thru 35 seconds)

“The sort of things that go on in nature are often ... they are quite profound.” - Doug Orr (starting at 42 seconds)

These two quotes, one from an AI author and the other from a software engineer working at SwiftKey, help us to see that believing we are the result of random freaks of natural selection is much harder for a reasoning, logical, intelligent mind to accept than is the conviction that a higher power (God) made us. In fact, even if humans ever do manage to make a machine that matches the ability of the human brain, all it will demonstrate is that much higher intelligence than mankind currently, collectively possesses was necessary to compose such a design and device. Even after they make that device, they will need to shrink it down to fit into a human skull in order to match what humans now, and have for centuries, possessed. (When you consider all the “great” scientific minds working on AI today and yet they barely touch the complexity of what evolutionists ascribe to mindless, undirected changes, it is really baffling that those same scientists can claim, with a straight face, that mindless evolution did what they still cannot do.)